Music Monday #23: Anastacia by Anastacia

In 2004 Anastacia released her self titled third album, which to this day I regard as her magnum opus.  This is another album that I regard as perfect, from start to finish there isn't a thing I would change, I love every single track and I love her as an artist. 

I first became aware of Anastacia when she released her single 'Not That Kind' in 2000 but it wasn't until 2004 that she released the single 'Left Outside Alone' which instantly struck a chord with me, it had meaningful lyrics, music that took me on a journey, upbeat but not sardonic, I wanted more.  The lyrics that I connected with most were "Left broken, empty and in despair, Wanna breathe, can't find air, Thought you were sent from up above, But you and me never had love, So much more I have to say, Help me find a way" - these perfectly represented the angst I felt as a teenager, seeing guys around me taking an interest in girls and me unable to find someone to show an interest in because naively I believe I was "the only gay in the village" as it were - something I was definitely wrong about but wouldn't realise the extent until later in life.  The lyrics were however prescient, the toxic relationships I had with guys would bring me back to those lyrics time and again.

'Seasons Change', 'Time', and 'I Do' embodied my frustrations with the state of the world and with age those bonds have only grown stronger, I still listen to this album and as with a few others mentioned it is one of the few that I can listen to from start to finish never touching the controls.  This album also shares quite a bit with Celine Dion's 'Let's Talk About Love' in that it has grown with me and some of the attachments to the tracks came later in life.  'Welcome To My Truth' was a song that I didn't come to truly appreciate until after I cam out and everyone finally knew I was gay.

The most powerful track on this album for me however is one that I came to identify with only a few years ago.  If you've read my other blog you can probably guess which one it is.  In 2017 I was diagnosed with Sarcoidosis, an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack itself.  When I went through all the diagnostic tests, and the appointments, exhausting travel, and eventual treatment I found comfort in Anastacia's 'Sick And Tired' particularly the lyrics "I'm sick and tired of always being sick and tired" because that is exactly how I felt at that moment in my life.  I know the rest of the song has little to do with it, and I must admit I was wilfully ignorant to the cultural significance of the quote, attributed to Fannie Lou Hamer, a leader in the civil rights movement it references Jim Crow laws which enforced racial segregation in the US.  I also wasn't aware at the time but Anastacia wrote the track at a time in her life when she was dealing with a flare up of her own, as someone who suffers from Crohn's disease and was in recovery after undergoing Radiotherapy after being diagnosed with Breast Cancer.  The former of which was treated at the time with the same corticosteroids I was prescribed.  Without knowing at the time there when I turned to her music there was a greater affinity than I realised.

Anastacia is an excellent example of a transatlantic artist that although originating in the US has had much more success this side of the pond.  'Anastacia' reached number 1 in the album charts of 12 countries, 10 of them in Europe, in the UK alone it went 4x platinum.  I've followed her career since her third album and although I've not connected with some of her other albums to the same degree as this one, I still admire her work, enjoy her music, and will continue to follow her.  I've also heard her speak on podcasts and give interviews, I was pleasantly surprised to find out she was friends with Michelle Visage and RuPaul when she appeared on their podcast and opened up about her journey and everything she had been through, that was also the first time I realised just how big the disparity is between her success outside the US versus inside.  This still doesn't make sense to me however even with other artists, two countries that share so much seem to diverge quite significantly at times when it comes to music.

The only other song on this album I want to take a moment to mention specifically is 'Where Do I Belong', the LGBT storyline and the affinity I have for artists that create music that embodies the issues we face has been mentioned before in this series, so without repeating myself suffice to say this song was so relatable because of the lyrics and the feeling of exhaustion with the state of the world, feeling disconnected, not knowing where you fit and where you belong.